Our Water Damage Restoration Process
Every job follows the same documented steps. You always know what is happening, what comes next, and what the finished result looks like.
From First Call to Final Clearance
Water damage is stressful enough without wondering what the people in your home are actually doing. Here is exactly how we work through every water damage restoration job in Marietta.
Emergency Call and Dispatch
The first thing we do is answer the phone. A live technician picks up every call, any time of day or night, and gets the details of your situation in real time. No voicemail. No call center asking you to hold. You speak to someone who can actually help.
In that first call we find out what happened, where the water is, whether the power is on in the affected area, and what your immediate safety situation looks like. Based on what you tell us, we dispatch the nearest crew right away.
What happens in this step
- Live technician answers your call, not an automated system
- We ask key questions about the water source, affected rooms, and safety
- We dispatch the crew nearest to your Marietta or Cobb County location
- We give you an honest estimated arrival time based on actual crew location
- We walk you through any immediate steps you should take before we arrive
What you should do before we arrive
- Shut off the main water supply if the source is a burst pipe or appliance failure
- Turn off power to any affected rooms at the breaker panel if it is safe to reach
- Move electronics, documents, and valuables above the water line
- Do not walk through standing water until you know the power is off
- Take photos of the visible damage for your insurance records
Do not try to vacuum or mop up large amounts of water yourself. Without commercial extraction equipment you will move surface water but leave moisture in the subfloor, walls, and insulation — which is where the real damage starts.
Damage Assessment and Moisture Mapping
Before we move a single piece of equipment we do a full assessment of your property. This step is the most important one. It is where we find out the true extent of the damage, including everything you cannot see with the naked eye.
Water travels. It follows the path of least resistance through flooring, under baseboards, into wall cavities, and under cabinets. What looks like a wet kitchen floor is often also wet drywall, wet insulation, and a wet subfloor. We map all of it before we start.
What we use
- Thermal imaging cameras: detect moisture hiding behind walls, under floors, and in ceilings without cutting into anything
- Calibrated moisture meters: measure exact moisture content of building materials at multiple points
- Hygrometers: measure relative humidity in each room before drying begins
- Visual inspection: every affected surface and structural element assessed for damage category
Water damage categories we assess for
- Category 1 (clean water): from supply lines, appliances, or rain. Lowest contamination risk
- Category 2 (gray water): from dishwashers, washing machines, or toilet overflows. Some contamination
- Category 3 (black water): from sewage backup or flooding. Requires full hazmat protocols
The category determines what protective gear we use, which materials can be dried versus removed, and what disinfection protocols apply.
What you get: A full written assessment showing every affected area, moisture readings, water category, and the recommended scope of work — before we start extraction.
Water Extraction
Water extraction is the fastest step and the most critical one. The longer standing water sits in contact with your floors, walls, and subfloor, the more material gets saturated — and in Marietta's humidity, the faster mold can start. We move quickly.
Equipment we use
- Truck-mounted extractors: the most powerful water removal equipment available, pulling high volumes continuously
- Portable extraction units: for upper floors and interior spaces where the truck cannot reach
- Specialty extraction tools: stair tools, weighted wands for carpet, and crevice tools for baseboards
- Submersible pumps: for basements with several inches of standing water
What we extract from
- Hard floors, carpets, and area rugs
- Subfloor material where water has penetrated through the flooring layer
- Wall cavities through small access points when water has entered between studs
- Crawl spaces using specialty crawl space extraction equipment
- HVAC ducts if water has entered the system
When extraction is complete we run a second moisture check across all surfaces to confirm all standing water is removed before drying begins.
Questions About Our Process?
Call (770) 796-7192 — We Walk You Through ItStructural Drying and Dehumidification
Extraction removes the water you can see. Structural drying removes the moisture that has soaked into your building materials. This step takes days, not hours, and it cannot be rushed without leaving hidden moisture behind.
In Marietta, this step matters more than anywhere else. Georgia's average summer humidity above 80 percent means the air itself is already full of moisture. Without commercial-grade equipment calibrated for these conditions, building materials will pull moisture from the surrounding air even as they try to dry out.
Drying equipment we set up
- Commercial air movers: high-velocity fans that pull surface moisture into the air for dehumidifiers to capture
- Commercial dehumidifiers: industrial units rated for Georgia humidity that run 24 hours a day
- Desiccant dehumidifiers: for crawl spaces and large basements where temperatures are cooler
- Injectidry systems: dry inside wall cavities without demolition via small holes drilled in baseboards
- Drying mats: for hardwood floors, creating suction to pull moisture directly from the material
IICRC S500 drying targets we work to
- Structural wood: below 15 to 19 percent moisture content
- Drywall: within 2 to 4 percent of an unaffected reference material
- Concrete subfloor: below 4 percent moisture content
- Relative humidity per room: below 50 to 55 percent
We do not decide when something is dry based on how it looks or feels. These numbers are the difference between a job that is actually complete and one that leaves hidden moisture behind for mold to find.
Daily Monitoring and Documentation
Drying is not a set-and-forget process. We return every day of the drying period to check moisture readings across all affected materials and record them.
What we record on every daily check
- Moisture readings at every documented point, compared to the previous day
- Relative humidity in each affected room
- Equipment performance including water extracted per dehumidifier in 24 hours
- Material conditions and whether any additional demolition is needed
- Date, time, and technician name on every reading for your insurance record
Why daily checks matter for you
The daily readings are your proof. When your insurance adjuster asks for documentation, we hand them a complete moisture log showing every reading, every day, at every point in your home. This is what gets claims approved.
Daily checks also tell us when drying is genuinely complete. We do not remove equipment on a fixed schedule — we remove it when the readings confirm every material is back within acceptable range.
Mold Prevention and Antimicrobial Treatment
The EPA says mold can start growing within 24 to 48 hours of water exposure. Before we close anything up, we treat all affected surfaces with EPA-registered antimicrobial products. This step applies to every water damage job, not just ones where visible mold is already present.
What we treat
- All structural materials that had direct water contact, including studs, joists, subfloor, and drywall edges
- Crawl space framing and vapor barrier areas
- Wall cavities that were dried from the inside
- Any surface where moisture readings were elevated during drying
When visible mold is present: If the assessment reveals active mold growth, the job moves into a full mold remediation protocol — containment with negative air pressure, HEPA vacuuming, material removal, IICRC S520-standard treatment, and post-remediation clearance testing. We do not skip this step or paint over mold and call it treated.
Repairs, Rebuild, and Final Inspection
Once the structure is dry and treated, we rebuild whatever was damaged or removed. This is where your home goes back to what it looked like before the water event. We handle the full repair scope — you do not need to find a separate contractor.
What repairs we handle
- Drywall replacement and finishing, including taping, mudding, and texture matching
- Flooring installation — hardwood, laminate, LVP, tile, and carpet
- Baseboard removal and reinstallation
- Cabinet repairs or replacement where water damage affected cabinetry
- Ceiling repair for water stains, bubbling, or material replacement
- Painting and final finishes to match existing surfaces
- Structural repairs to framing, joists, or subfloor identified during the process
Final inspection
When repairs are complete, a senior technician does a full walkthrough with you. We go over every affected area with a moisture meter one final time to confirm dry readings, check every repair for quality, and make sure you are satisfied before we close the job.
You also receive a full written job summary — original damage assessment, all daily moisture logs, equipment used, treatment applied, and final clearance readings. This document is exactly what you need if you ever sell the property or deal with a future insurance question about this event.
Our Mold Remediation Process
When a job involves active mold growth, we follow the ANSI/IICRC S520 standard for professional mold remediation — a separate protocol that often runs alongside water damage restoration.
We find the mold, locate the moisture source feeding it, and map how far the growth has spread. You get a written scope before we start anything.
Air and surface samples sent to an accredited lab confirm mold type and concentration. Results guide removal and serve as the pre-remediation baseline.
Physical barriers and negative air pressure prevent spores from spreading. HEPA air scrubbers run continuously inside the containment zone.
Affected materials are removed, bagged, and disposed of properly. Remaining surfaces are HEPA vacuumed and treated with EPA-approved antimicrobials.
Mold removed without fixing the moisture source will return. We repair the leak, improve ventilation, or address drainage issues that caused the growth.
Final air and surface samples compared to pre-remediation baseline. Only when lab results confirm acceptable mold levels do we rebuild and close the job.
For the full mold page including mold types, locations, costs, and FAQs, see our mold remediation service page.
What to Expect When We Are Working in Your Home
Most Marietta homeowners have never had professional restoration work done. Here is what the job actually looks and feels like.
Air movers run continuously and are louder than a residential fan. Dehumidifiers have a constant hum. The equipment needs to run 24 hours a day during the drying period, including overnight. We position units to minimize disruption as much as possible.
For most jobs, the affected area is cordoned off and the rest of your home is fully usable. You do not need to relocate unless the damage is widespread or involves Category 3 black water, in which case we will tell you directly.
Daily check visits typically take 20 to 45 minutes. You do not need to be present, though you are welcome to be there and ask questions. We can arrange a time window that works with your schedule.
At the end of each daily visit we leave a written note or communicate directly with you about the current moisture readings and what the next step looks like. You never have to wonder whether drying is going well.
We contact your adjuster, provide the documentation they need, and follow their required protocols. If you have questions about coverage at any point, we can walk through it with you based on what we have documented.
Equipment We Use on Every Job
| Equipment | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Truck-mounted water extractor | Pulls high volumes of standing water with maximum suction power |
| Portable extraction units | Reaches upper floors and spaces far from the truck |
| Commercial air movers | Creates high-velocity airflow across wet surfaces to drive evaporation |
| Commercial dehumidifiers | Captures airborne moisture and removes it from the drying environment |
| Injectidry wall drying system | Dries inside wall cavities without full demolition |
| Hardwood floor drying mats | Draws moisture directly out of wood flooring from below |
| Thermal imaging camera | Detects hidden moisture behind walls and under floors without cutting |
| Calibrated moisture meters | Measures exact moisture content of building materials at depth |
| Hygrometers | Tracks relative humidity in each room throughout the drying period |
| HEPA air scrubbers | Filters mold spores and airborne particles during mold remediation jobs |
| EPA-approved antimicrobials | Treats affected surfaces after drying to prevent mold growth |
Process FAQs
Questions About Our Process? We Are Happy to Walk You Through It.
Call us for a free on-site assessment before any work starts. We answer every question directly and give you an honest picture of what the job involves.
(770) 796-7192 | Available 24/7, including weekends and holidays